We loved the rebound, comfort and support of the springy-feeling midsole, while the leather upper and Danner dry membrane kept our feet 100 per cent dry as we sloshed through quagmires. We wore the mountain 600s up Hopegill Head in north-west Cumbria, a mountain hike featuring boggy grass, heathery slopes, an undulating ridge and a final ascent up an exposed, steep rib of bare rock. Danner call it “performance heritage”, but we’d describe it as woodsy chic and backcountry dapper with a touch of technical, mountain-ready nouse.
This hybrid style, combining a traditional full-grain leather upper with a cushioned trainer-like midsole, looks striking. If an old school leather hiking boot had an illegitimate child with a lightweight trail running sneaker, the Danner mountain 600 would be born. They’re best suited to speed-hiking in better conditions, rather than hardcore Munro-bagging in a wintry Scottish squall, but for the everyday walker the cloudrocks offer solid performance with a healthy dollop of colourful style. We were particularly impressed with the rebound and cushioning, as if the boots were propelling us uphill, while the waterproof membrane, grippy outsole and flexible ankle cuff all did their jobs excellently. This so-called cloudtech has a dual purpose: the clouds compress on impact to improve cushioning, and then become firmer for an explosive take-off on your next step. Hollow pods (known as “clouds”) create a deeply-ridged wave of thick, aggressive lugs separated by mini channels, forming a crinkly profile. Zurich-based On have designed a waterproof, protective and supportive hiking boot with stereotypically precise Swiss engineering – but the real unique selling point is the eye-catching outsole.
They are available in a standard model and a special edition bee line version featuring a Gore-Tex liner, sustainable leather and a bold colour scheme. They certainly aren’t boots for compass-wielding rambling purists, but for Instagram-loving millennial hikers these kicks will be both on fleek and technically proficient. We took these boots on two long day walks around Wast Water in the Lake District and were impressed with the out-of-box comfort, sneaker-like flexibility and plush cushioning. Timberland’s impressive environmental efforts haven’t compromised performance, however. Both the waterproof membrane and synthetic-leather upper are partly made from recycled plastic bottles, while the outsole consists of 50 per cent bio-based materials, three percent resins from paper pulp waste and 47 per cent natural rubber.
#COLUMBIA OMNITECH PRO#
Best for ankle support – Inov-8 roclite pro g 400 Gore-Tex: £200,.Best overall – Scarpa R-evo GTX: £188.99,.
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